After 12 rocky months, Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) star Conor McGregor unexpectedly revealed his retirement on Tuesday via social media
By Nicole Ganglani | Photo from UFC
Via Twitter on Tuesday, Conor McGregor wished his colleagues well as he decided to retire from professional mixed martial arts.
The past 12 months have been turbulent for the Irish star who was arrested earlier this month in South Florida for robbery and criminal mischief. McGregor stole the cellphone of a stranger who attempted to take his photo.
In his last fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov, the Irish star lost the UFC lightweight title and was suspended for the brawl that took place during the fight. The brawl resulted in his suspension until Apr. 6 along with a $50,000 fine.
The 30-year-old fighter leaves the sport as the former Ultimate Fighting Champion in the featherweight and lightweight division. McGregor also had previously retired in April 2016 but returned to the sport after being obliged by his promoters to continue the scheduled fight against Nate Diaz.
However, UFC president Dana White told ESPN that this time, McGregor’s announcement is legit and “totally makes sense.”
“He has the money to retire and his [Proper 12] whiskey is KILLIN it,” White told ESPN. “If I was him I would retire, too. He’s retiring from fighting. Not from working. The whiskey will keep him busy and I’m sure he has other things he’s working on.
The Dubliner leaves the tournament with a 21-4 record under his belt.
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